GRIFFIN REVEALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT NIGHTMARE AFTER CRASHING INTO SECURITY GUARD

RHYS GRIFFIN has revealed he crashed into a security guard after tripping over the walk-on ramp just seconds before his World Championship debut.

The world No121 feared the worst after stumbling on his way to the Ally Pally stage ahead of his first-round clash with Karel Sedlacek in 2025.

Griffin, 29, brushed it off to seal a stunning 3-0 whitewash before his dream run was ended by Josh Rock in round two.

He told the Weekly Dartscast: “I was fine practicing all the way through and my prep went great.

“I got to the back where you stand and I fell up the little ramp, which didn't help.

“Honest to God I fell up the little ramp, somebody will have a video of it somewhere. I fell into the security guard and I was like, ‘Oh God, here we go.’

“Then your music hits and you think, God, this is actually real and all the adrenaline just hits and you get emotional and everything.

“But when I got up there I was alright. After I won a leg I was fine.”

The Welshman managed just one ProTour quarter-final appearance later that year, at Players Championship 32, before eventually losing his PDC Tour Card.

‘Happy Gilmore’ admits there were plenty of distractions during the period when he was trying to push on.

He added: “I thought I'd kick on, but I said I got married that year.

“I had a lot going on that year, which probably didn't help, but yeah, it was my own fault.

“I didn't deal with it the way I should have, and I quit work thinking that when I was out of work, I'd be able to focus more on the darts, and I did.

“It just didn't help, because then the financial thing kicks in but I learnt my lessons there.

“I'm back working now, I feel a lot better, but yeah, I did a lot of things wrong that year, that I probably should have learnt from.

“Well I have learnt from now, but I should have known what to do by then.”

Griffin responded by fighting his way back at Q-School at the start of this season and made his Euro Tour debut last week, but his run was cut short in the opening round after a narrow 6-5 defeat to Sedlacek.

Words: Aaron Nijjar

Image: Taylor Lanning